NEWARK — Devante Smith-Pelly looked like the player the Devils first saw when they acquired him last season.
Appearing in his first game since Jan 31, Smith-Pelly scored seven minutes into play, landed a team-high four hits and blocked a shot in the Devils’ 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday.
“When the game’s that intense, you have no choice but to get into it,” Smith-Pelly said. “It was a long layoff for me, my legs, it took a while to get them going. But as the game picked up and got intense, it was almost like a playoff game out there.”
Devils earn 2 crucial points vs. Islanders
Smith-Pelly scored on a breakaway at 7:10 in the first period, taking a banked pass from center Travis Zajac near the blue line before sliding a puck under Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss for his third goal of the season.
Smith-Pelly stepped into the lineup for Michael Cammalleri, who was a surprise healthy scratch. Coach John Hynes hasn’t made any lineup decisions for Sunday’s road game against the Islanders, but Smith-Pelly’s performance gave plenty of reason to expect another spot in the lineup.
Hynes said Smith-Pelly’s line with Joseph Blandisi and Miles Wood provided a physical presence, and Smith-Pelly said the bottom line did what the Devils needed.
“The fourth line, you’re trying to make energy and get in on the forecheck,” Smith-Pelly said. “Those guys are fast, feisty players, so it makes it a lot easier when they’re doing the right things and finishing their checks and getting pucks back. It’s a lot easier to play when you do have that pressure.”
Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.
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